The Ebb of Darkness
by The Little House Scribe
Summary: An unexpected Fellytone conversation does wonders for Ginny. Set during COS/POA Summer Holidays.


It was one bright sunny morn;

Alas, not for she-who-was-in-bed.

Feeling so utterly forlorn;

With her spirit nearly dead.

Ginny trudged down the staircase; it was mid-morning. Her Mum was in the kitchen; the breakfast plates of her brothers already scrubbed and put away. They were (with the exception of Percy), laughing and playing outside.

"Good morning, Ginny." Mum said brightly. "What would you like to eat? Bacon? Sausages? Eggs?"

"Morning Mummy…No thanks; I'm not hungry."

"Ginny; darling, you've got to eat something." Mum pulled Ginny into a hug. "Feel yourself; you're all skin and bones."

Ginny hummed in a non-committal manner. Molly let Ginny go, her heart aching.

Her daughter went to the kitchen door; the sounds of Fred, George and Ron working their way into the Burrow.

"Go on, Ginny." Mum said, watching Ginny look longingly outside.

But Ginny backed away from the door. "I…I think I'll go in the living room."

"Alright dearie." Mum stifled a sigh. "Though your brothers would really love for you to join them."

Ginny smiled ruefully. "No, they wouldn't. Thanks anyway, Mummy."

Mrs Weasley set to work preparing Ginny some breakfast; she would force it down her throat if she had to; and it with Weasleys anything was possible. They were a rather stubborn lot.

But a massive, clattering noise from outside made her refocus her attention. Mrs Weasley ran outside.

"Menace bird!" Fred yelled, clutching his face. Ron was holding Errol, and George was rolling on the grass laughing.

"What happened?" Mum asked her eyes sweeping the scene.

"Well, Errol came back from Hermione." Ron began.

"And the B…bird came smash – straight into my face and go and crash into the side of the tank."

"Freddie, are you alright."

"I'm fine Mum; it's nothing. Check if that silly bird is okay."

"Okay E rrol; let's see…"

##

Ginny settled down on the couch in the Burrow Living room, and picked up a small booklet entitled _Telecommunications; a Technical Guide for Trainees. _ It didn't promise to be engrossing reading; but Ginny figured it was better than nothing. While Ginny was midway through the contents page, a rhythmic ringing sound caught her attention.

It was the Fellytone! But no-one was around to answer it. Ginny gingerly picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" A voice asked, tentatively from the other side.

The voice sounded shy and little apprehensive; like Ginny felt; and suddenly, Ginny didn't feel quite so shy herself.

"Good morning. You have reached the residence of Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley and Weasley. This is Weasley speaking; how may I be of assistance?"

There was slight chuckle from the other end.

"Good day to you; Weasley of Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley and Weasley. This is Harry Potter of Number Four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. May I please speak with Mister Ronald Weasley."

"One moment please, sir."

"RON!" Ginny yelled through the door.

"I'm busy Ginny." Ron called back, as he and Mrs Weasley walked into the shed. Ginny frowned; but hurried back to the phone.

"You there, Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Yes."

"Ron seems to be caught up with something." Ginny strained to look out the window." I don't know what; but it seems to be important."

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

"How…how've you been, Ginny?" Harry asked.

"Kay, I guess." Ginny muttered. "What about you; the Muggles been getting you down?"

"They've been alright actually. Haven't paid me much attention really."

"Typical. You get all the attention when you don't want it and none from who you deserve it from."

"Yup. Anyway; Dudley – he's my Cousin, somehow seems set upon adding the laws of physics to the rather extensive list of rules he's broken, by becoming the world's first Human Invertebrate. But the teachers from school have said that he needs to go on a diet. Oh, goodness; you should've seen Uncle Vernon explode. Right now 'Diet' and 'Heathly Eating' have replaced 'Magic' and 'Hogwarts' as the most disgusting swear words in the house. Anyway; so Dudley is on a strict diet at the moment; so I've been err…helping him through this difficult time."

"Oh? That's really nice of you, Harry. But this is Dudley, surely you can't be that forgiving."

"Well, I've told him all about the delicious, never ending platters of food at Hogwarts; plates of sandwiches that refill themselves. Your mum's delicious rich cooking…you know, the aromas, everything – the whole sensory experience."

"And all the while he has to eat Cabbage and Broccoli. Harry; you sly genius; I like your style."

"I was rather fond of it myself. Yeah, and not just any Cabbage and Broccoli; Aunt Pentunia's Cabbage and Broccoli. I swear; that woman's got making food unappetising down to an art form."

"I'd smuggle you something if Errol wasn't so ancient – maybe Percy will let me borrow – forgive me for borrowing Hermes."

"Thanks for the thought, Ginny, but Dudley would smell it from a mile off."

"Oi! Who you talking to?" Dudley asked, waddling into the room.

"A friend." Harry said shortly.

"You don't have any friends." Dudley answered; as if it were the most commonly known fact known. Then he paused, and thought. "Did you just say Jenny?"

"Ginny. I'm talking to Ginny; she's my friend."

"She's your friend…" Dudley's piggy face screwed up in concentration – or constipation; Harry could never be sure. "And she's a girl?"

"Yes, Dudley. She's a girl. One of those strange; exotic creatures you rarely glimpse."

Ginny, who was hearing the whole conversation, was muffling her speakers as she giggled away.

"And…" Dudley looked very strained asking the next question. "Is she pretty?"

Harry froze; was honesty the best policy with Ginny on the line. Ginny, no doubt, had heard Dudley's question; for she too had fallen silent.

"Err…" Harry began. "Well, for starters…Nah, I don't think she is. She doesn't have a double chin to begin with. And don't get me started on her height to width ratio. Terribly un rotund. Why…I'll bet that her dress size is a single digit number."

Ginny, who had fallen silent a moment earlier; was rolling on the coach laughing her head off; not even bothering to muffle the sound.

"Hey babe." Ginny abruptly stopped laughing as the 'suave' voice spoke to her. "I got rid of scrawny; I know of a nice…Ice cream parlour we can visit." Dudley said in what he thought to be a charming manner.

"Oh, I'd love to." Dudley quickly switched to speaker phone; so that Harry, who'd been knocked away from the phone, could fully suffer Dudley's triumph.

"But I always lose them."

"Lose what?" Dudley's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Oh, there they go again. Straight into the telephone. Well, when they get to your end could you bring them with you? I really need them."

"What?" Dudley asked again. "What did you lose?"

"Magic Cooties." Ginny said. Dudley screeched and threw the receiver aside, before making his heroic getaway.

Harry picked up the receiver, and turned the speaker off whist he choked on his laughter.

"Dudley out the door yet?" Ginny asked.

"I think he just made it to his room." Harry replied through his wheezing, and then peeked into the hall. "No, he hasn't made it yet. Wow, it's like a slug trying to do a sprint race." Harry observed.

"KILL IT, HARRY. KILL IT WITH SALT!"

##

Hearing Dudley's squeals, Petunia came downstairs. She wrenched the receiver out of Harry's hand and shouted into the phone.

"Whoever you are; this is Petunia Dursley. Do not call this number again."

"You give the fellytone back to Harry now; Batunia Dursley."

Aunt Pentunia gave a great gasp of shock, before thrusting the receiver back into Harry's hand. Harry was shocked to say the least, but Aunt Pentunia just stormed out, leaving Harry quite confused.

"Ah, there's one in every family Harry. Two in mine, actually."

There was an influx of sounds from Ginny's end. "Oh, who're you talking to, Ginny?" Ron asked.

"A friend." Ginny replied.

"Yeah, right. You're probably not talking to anyone."

"Well of course I'm not."

"Ha. What did I tell you?"

"I wouldn't pick up the phone for just anyone, right Harry?"

"And I wouldn't just pick up the phone to call just anyone, Ginny."

"Harry's on the phone? Why didn't you say something?" Ron unceremoniously snatched the receiver out of Ginny's hand, before beginning to speak into it.

"Sorry mate; Errol crashed into Fred and he need patching up…you see, we sent him off the other day to Hermione…"

"Come on Ron; Lemme say goodbye." Ron dodged Ginny's attempt to take back the receiver.

"Harry and Ginny sitting in different counties C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-I-N-G! First comes ringing then comes talking then comes conversations through the Fellytone network." Fred and George sang.

Mrs Weasley looked into the rather chaotic scene, and a fond smile crept over her face. Ginny, for the first time in weeks, looked like life was returning to her.


End file.
